Exam prompt
How do mass number and proton number change in alpha decay?
How certain was your answer?
CorrectUnsureWrong
Opening your learning space
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Opening your learning space
Starting the app …
Compare Quanta, Anki, Quizlet, RemNote, Knowt and Brainscape by scheduler, card generation, source status, STEM notation, offline use and pricing.
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Physics · Radioactivity
Flashcard
Exam prompt
How do mass number and proton number change in alpha decay?
How certain was your answer?
„I have tried several flashcard apps, and so far I have liked Quanta best. […] The multiple-choice feature and exam simulation really help me too."There is no single best flashcard app for everyone. Anki leads on open source and offline use, Quizlet on its large set library. For STEM, Quanta combines AI flashcard generation, FSRS-6 native spaced repetition and visible source status in its Source-First workflow. Quanta Starter is free forever.
Why I built another flashcard app
“Anki, Quizlet and RemNote earned their place. Anki made spaced repetition free and open for millions, Quizlet made study sets effortless to share, and RemNote tied notes and flashcards together. I am not here to talk any of that down. What I wanted was FSRS-6 with personal intervals after the first rating, AI flashcards generated from my own PDF, and a source status attached to Source-First flashcards so I can trace them. On a STEM exam, a flashcard that quietly invented a constant is worse than no flashcard at all. So Quanta makes the source and verification status visible instead of presenting every AI card as equally verified.”
Five criteria that actually separate these apps, each with a short, factual verdict.
An AI flashcard app should turn your notes, PDFs or a topic prompt into question-answer flashcards, not just store entries you type by hand. Quanta, Quizlet, RemNote, Knowt and Brainscape document AI creation from uploaded material. Anki does not document a built-in AI generator in its core product.
Verdict: If you want flashcards built from your script, compare the supported inputs and the review step. If you prefer to write every flashcard yourself, Anki keeps that workflow under your control.
The scheduler decides when each card comes back. FSRS-6 models stability, difficulty and retrievability per card. Current Anki versions support FSRS alongside legacy scheduling; Quanta uses FSRS-6 and starts personal intervals after the first rating. In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The paper on its predecessor model, Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD), reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. None of it compares Quanta with the current Anki app.
Verdict: Both Quanta and current Anki support FSRS. Quanta provides a guided FSRS-6 workflow; Anki offers FSRS and legacy scheduling with more configuration choices.
AI-generated flashcards can contain unsupported statements. In Quanta's Source-First path, each result carries a source status and extractable text can be checked with a quote match. RemNote documents a different form of traceability: AI flashcards made from a PDF cite the original sentence through a pin. The checked Quizlet, Knowt and Brainscape pages document generation from uploaded material but do not describe a source link on each generated flashcard.
Verdict: If you study from a fixed source and need to trace a claim back to its text, source status is a useful criterion. A citation shows text binding, not that the source itself is factually correct.
Math, physics and chemistry need formula support. Quanta renders LaTeX natively with a live preview on all platforms and draws SMILES structures for chemistry. Anki supports MathJax, Quizlet and Knowt handle basic equations, RemNote renders LaTeX. Native chemistry structure rendering is uncommon across the set.
Before studying a chemistry flashcard, check that its structure matches the intended molecule. Our guide Draw skeletal structures with ethanol shows how to count atoms and bonds and distinguish ethanol from dimethyl ether.
Verdict: For math-heavy or chemistry-heavy subjects, native LaTeX and structure rendering save real time. For pure vocabulary or fact recall, any of these apps is sufficient.
Beyond review, some apps add exam preparation. Quanta includes an exam simulation and a Readiness Score that estimates how prepared you are for a set date from your FSRS retention data (an estimate, not a guarantee). Quanta Starter is free forever; Essential starts at €9.75/mo billed annually. Anki desktop and Android are free; AnkiMobile for iPhone is a one-time $24.99 (US App Store, as of 7 September 2026).
Verdict: If you study toward a fixed exam date, the Readiness Score and exam simulation are differentiators. For open-ended review, a free tier on any of these apps will do.
A factual matrix. Algorithm figures come from the open srs-benchmark.
| Criterion | Quanta | Anki | Quizlet | RemNote | Knowt | Brainscape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI flashcard generation from uploaded material | Yes | Not documented | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FSRS support | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Scheduler family | FSRS-6 | FSRS + legacy | Proprietary | FSRS | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Traceback from an AI flashcard to supplied source text | Source status + quote match | Not applicable | Not documented | Source pin | Not documented | Not documented |
| Native LaTeX | Yes | MathJax | Basic | Yes | Basic | No |
| Chemistry structures (SMILES) | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Exam simulation | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Readiness Score | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Anki import (.apkg) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Full offline mode | Partial | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
Algorithm data: Ye et al. 2022, ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081. Price comparison
No app is the best choice for everything. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each, including our own.
Strengths
Weaknesses
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In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The paper on its predecessor model, Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD), reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. None of it compares Quanta with the current Anki app. Karpicke and Roediger (2008) report about 80% of the vocabulary pairs recalled after one week in the two conditions with repeated retrieval practice, and 36% and 33% in the two conditions where pairs were dropped from further testing once recalled; those figures describe that experiment and are not a general promise for every learning situation or for Quanta. These studies test the methods, not Quanta itself.
Sources: srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026 · Ye et al. 2022, ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081 · Karpicke & Roediger 2008, Science, doi:10.1126/science.1152408
There is no single best flashcard app for everyone. Anki leads on open source, full offline mode and its plugin ecosystem. Quizlet leads on its large set library. For STEM students who want AI card generation, FSRS-6 native and per-card source citation, Quanta is built for that case. The right choice depends on whether you value control and offline use (Anki) or AI generation with cited sources and STEM rendering (Quanta).
Quanta, Quizlet, RemNote and Knowt all generate flashcards with AI. In Quanta's Source-First path, cards carry a source status. PDF generation is bound to the uploaded document; where text is extractable, a quote match can verify evidence, while unmatched visual cards remain unverified. If no suitable source is found, no flashcards are created; a file or a URL is the way. If you mainly want a large existing set library, Quizlet or Knowt may fit better.
Spaced repetition apps differ mainly by scheduler and workflow. Current Anki versions support FSRS alongside legacy scheduling; Quanta and RemNote also use FSRS. In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The paper on its predecessor model, Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD), reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. None of it compares the current Anki app with Quanta. In Quanta, personal FSRS intervals begin after the first rating.
SM-2 was published in 1987 and uses an ease-factor model. FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) goes back to Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD, doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081). In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The paper on its predecessor model, Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD), reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. This is an algorithm comparison, not a study of Quanta versus the current Anki app; current Anki versions support FSRS as well as legacy scheduling.
Yes. In Quanta's Source-First path, generated flashcards carry source details and an available quote can be matched against the source text. RemNote also documents source traceability for AI flashcards made from a PDF: a pin opens the original sentence. The checked Quizlet, Knowt and Brainscape pages describe generation from supplied material but do not document a source link on each generated flashcard. Product documentation checked on 7 October 2026.
STEM and medicine need formula and structure support. Quanta renders LaTeX natively with a live preview on all platforms and draws SMILES chemistry structures, and it focuses on math, physics, chemistry, biology and computer science. The AI generator handles textbook PDFs and shows the source for each card. Anki is also widely used in medicine through community decks, though formula support relies on MathJax and there is no built-in AI generator (as of June 2026).
It depends on the app. Quanta, RemNote and Knowt can import Anki .apkg files; Quizlet and Brainscape cannot import .apkg directly (as of June 2026). Quanta imports question-and-answer text, not images, audio, media or Anki scheduling history. Imported cards start as new cards, and personal FSRS-6 scheduling begins after the first new rating.
Quanta Starter: Free forever: 1 topic, no more than 20 flashcards in total, and FSRS. Once over the account lifetime, in the guided entry: 10 AI flashcards and a multiple-choice test with 5 questions, plus 1 summary of a document. Each month 1 AI explanation, 10 dictation minutes and 60 voice formula inputs. Essential adds exam simulation and calendar import. Further AI flashcard generations require Essential, which starts at €9.75/mo billed annually (unlimited flashcards, 200 AI flashcards and 200 multiple-choice questions per month), with Performance above it. Anki desktop and Android are free; AnkiMobile for iPhone is a one-time $24.99 (US App Store). Quizlet, RemNote, Knowt and Brainscape each offer a free tier with paid upgrades. Quanta runs as a PWA, so the iPhone version is free with no app-store fee (as of 7 September 2026).
There is no single best flashcard app, only the best fit for your subject and workflow. Choose Anki if open source, full offline mode and a large plugin ecosystem matter most. Quizlet and Knowt focus on quick creation and shared material. RemNote combines notes, PDF reading and source pins for PDF-generated AI flashcards. Quanta combines FSRS-6, AI generation, native LaTeX and chemistry rendering with a visible source status and quote match in its Source-First workflow.
Keep comparing
Three items you can check, with their source next to them.
What retrieval practice was measured to do
Karpicke and Roediger (2008) report about 80% of the vocabulary pairs recalled after one week in the two conditions with repeated retrieval practice, and 36% and 33% in the two conditions where pairs were dropped from further testing once recalled; those figures describe that experiment and are not a general promise for every learning situation or for Quanta. Karpicke, J.D. and Roediger, H.L. (2008). Science, 319(5865), 966 to 968. doi:10.1126/science.1152408
Log-loss 0.3460 in the open comparison
In the open comparison run by the open-spaced-repetition community, FSRS-6 reaches a log-loss of 0.3460 on 349,923,850 reviews from 9,999 collections (retrieved on 5 September 2026); log-loss measures prediction error, lower is better, and that table carries no row for SM-2. The paper on its predecessor model, Ye et al. 2022 (ACM SIGKDD), reports 220 million behaviour logs and a 12.6% improvement over the state of the art. Both are results of those datasets, not a blanket product effect. It compares schedulers, not the Quanta app with current Anki. srs-benchmark (formerly fsrs-benchmark), open-spaced-repetition, retrieved 5 September 2026, https://github.com/open-spaced-repetition/srs-benchmark · Ye, J. et al. (2022). ACM SIGKDD. doi:10.1145/3534678.3539081
Where your data sits
Accounts, learning content and results are stored in Frankfurt, region europe-west3. AI text functions run through the EU endpoint of Mistral AI SAS in Paris; reading files and voice input runs through the provider standard endpoint, for which no processing location is promised. A data processing agreement with standard contractual clauses applies.
The studies examine the learning method, not this product, and they say nothing about your exam result.